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Presidents' Day Zebra Puzzle

Five students are side by side talking about the essays they wrote. Each essay was about an United States president and each student was assisted by a relative. Which president the 13-year-old student wrote about?

 
  • Notebook
  • Name
  • President
  • Words
  • Help
  • Age
Student #1 #1
Student #2 #2
Student #3 #3
Student #4 #4
Student #5 #5
  • The girl who wrote about the first African-American president of the United States is exactly to the left the 10-year-old girl.
  • The student who has the Red notebook was helped by her Sister.
  • The youngest girl is at one of the ends.
  • At the first position is the student who wrote about Ronald Reagan.
  • Layla is exactly to the right of the girl that was assisted by her Sister.
  • Alicia wrote the 350-word-essay.
  • The 10-year-old girl is next to the student who wrote about the 44th president of the United States.
  • The girl who has the Purple notebook is somewhere to the left of the girl who was helped by her Father.
  • The student who wrote the longest essay is somewhere between the student who wrote the 300-word-essay and the student who was assisted by her Sister, in that order.
  • At one of the ends girl that wrote about the president who led the nation through the American Civil War.
  • At the fourth position is the girl that was helped by her Mother.
  • Alicia is exactly to the right of the 11-year-old student.
  • The girl that has the Green notebook is somewhere between the girl that wrote the 300-word-essay and the oldest girl, in that order.
  • At one of the ends is the girl that wrote the 400-word-essay.
  • The student that has the Green notebook is somewhere to the left of the student who wrote about Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  • Gianna wrote the 450-word-essay.
  • The girl who has the Green notebook is somewhere between the girl that has the Blue notebook and the girl who wrote about Barack Obama, in that order.
  • The student that wrote the 450-word-essay is next to the girl who was helped by her Sister.
  • Madelyn is at the fifth position.
  • The girl who was assisted by her Grandfather is next to the girl who has the Red notebook.
  • The 12-year-old girl has the Black notebook.
  • The student that wrote about the president who served from 2009 to 2017 is exactly to the right of the student who wrote the 450-word-essay.

How to play

  • Start by reading all the clues;
  • Find all the "basic" clues and mark them. The most basic clue is the one that states that something is in a determined house/position. Example:
    • The German lives in house three.
  • Sometimes you are going to need to deduce some information using two or more clues;
  • All the clues must be used;
  • The game ends when all the clues are correctly checked and everything is filled.

More Zebra Puzzles

See our zebra puzzles list.

Need help?

If, after reading the instructions, you still don't understand how to play, try playing one of these simpler zebra puzzles. They were designed to be easier than the ones of the same difficulty.

Printable version

You can download the PDF version of this zebra puzzle.

Visit our Printable Zebra Puzzles page to download and print other Zebra Puzzles.

Cognitive Benefits of Zebra Puzzles

Zebra puzzles engage the brain in critical thinking and deductive reasoning. Solving these puzzles often requires the individual to interpret clues, make connections, and eliminate possibilities to arrive at the correct solution. This mental exercise not only sharpens logical reasoning skills but also improves focus, attention to detail, and analytical abilities.

Various studies on cognition and puzzles suggest that regular engagement with challenges like Zebra puzzles can have longer-term benefits. They can potentially aid in the enhancement of problem-solving skills and may even contribute to improved memory and information retention. In summary, Zebra puzzles offer an effective way to engage cognitive functions and foster intellectual growth.

Zebra Puzzles in Education

Zebra puzzles are increasingly being incorporated into educational settings as a tool for teaching logic and reasoning skills. Teachers and educators find these puzzles to be useful in engaging students in active learning, as they require students to apply critical thinking to solve complex problems. The puzzles can be adapted to various difficulty levels, making them accessible for students of different ages and abilities. They can be used as stand-alone exercises or integrated into a broader curriculum focused on mathematics, logic, or computer science.

Beyond the classroom, Zebra puzzles are also used in educational competitions and extracurricular activities to challenge students and encourage teamwork. The process of solving these puzzles collaboratively can help students learn to communicate effectively, delegate tasks, and think systematically. This hands-on approach to learning can make complex concepts more understandable and engaging, thereby enriching the educational experience.

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